Punjab NEET UG 2026 3rd Round Counselling: Dates, Fees & Eligibility

Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot, has released the revised schedule for the 3rd Round of NEET UG 2026 counselling for MBBS and BDS seats in Punjab. This is the final counselling round for candidates who did not secure a seat in Rounds 1 and 2, or who wish to upgrade. Registration opens on 28 September 2026 and runs through 2 October, with seat allotment on 10 October and joining between 12–14 October. If you are eligible to participate, you must act quickly—missing even one deadline will disqualify you from this round.

What is the 3rd Round and who should apply?

The 3rd Round is the final counselling round for NEET UG 2026 MBBS and BDS admissions in Punjab. It is open to candidates who did not receive a seat in Rounds 1 or 2, candidates whose Round 2 allotment was cancelled, candidates who joined a seat in Round 2 and now wish to upgrade, and candidates who surrendered their Round 1 seat after the free-exit deadline.

This round gives you one last opportunity to secure admission. Once you join a seat in the 3rd Round, you cannot surrender it or participate in any further counselling round, so choose carefully.

Important dates: Timeline for 3rd Round counselling

The entire 3rd Round process runs from 28 September to 14 October 2026. Below is the complete schedule. Every date has a strict deadline—applications and payments submitted even one minute late will not be accepted.

Who must register afresh for the 3rd Round?

Not all candidates need to register again. The University has divided candidates into two groups based on their status in Rounds 1 and 2. Understanding which group you belong to is critical—registering when you should not, or failing to register when you must, will result in rejection.

You MUST register afresh if: (1) you are applying for the first time in the 3rd Round; (2) you were allotted a seat in Round 2 but did not join it (whether it was a fresh seat or an upgraded seat)—you must also deposit the security amount again; (3) your Round 2 allotment was cancelled during document verification or reporting due to a change in category or other reason, and you remain eligible—you must forfeit the security amount already paid; or (4) you surrendered your Round 1 seat after the free-exit deadline and do not currently hold any seat.

• First-time applicants for 3rd Round
• Candidates who did not join their Round 2 allotted seat (fresh or upgraded)
• Candidates whose Round 2 allotment was cancelled during verification/reporting
• Candidates who surrendered Round 1 seat after free-exit deadline and hold no current seat

Who does NOT need to register afresh?

If you fall into either of these categories, you do not need to register again. However, you still must submit willingness and pay the security deposit by the deadline.

You do NOT need to register afresh if: (1) you are already registered and did not receive any seat allotment in Round 1 or Round 2; or (2) you are already registered and are currently holding a seat from Round 1 or Round 2 and wish to participate in the 3rd Round for upgradation.

Important: If you already paid the security deposit in Round 2 and were not allotted a seat, you do not need to pay it again. However, you must still submit your willingness to participate in the 3rd Round through the University Payment Gateway by 2 October 2026.

• Already registered, no seat allotted in Rounds 1 or 2
• Already registered, currently holding a seat from Round 1 or 2 (for upgradation)

Registration fee: How much to pay and who pays what

If you are registering afresh, you must pay the registration fee through the University Payment Gateway. The fee depends on your category. SC candidates pay less than General/Other candidates. The fee includes 18% GST.

Do not confuse the registration fee with the security deposit. The registration fee is a one-time charge to submit your application. The security deposit is separate and depends on whether you choose government colleges, private colleges, or both.

Security deposit: The amount you must pay based on your college choice

After registering, you must submit willingness to participate in the 3rd Round and pay a security deposit. This deposit is refundable and will be adjusted against your final fee once you join. The amount you pay depends entirely on which colleges you want to apply to: government only, private only, or both.

This is a critical decision. If you choose government colleges only, you pay ₹10,000 (or ₹5,000 if you are SC/BC/PwD). If you choose private colleges only, or both government and private, you pay ₹2,00,000. If you later want to change your choice—for example, from government only to both government and private—you must pay the differential amount (the difference between the two deposits).

The security deposit must be paid through the University Payment Gateway by 2 October 2026. Failure to pay by this deadline will disqualify you from the 3rd Round.

Step-by-step: How to register and submit willingness

The process has several steps, and each must be completed by the deadline. Missing even one step will result in your candidature being rejected.

Step 1 (28 Sept – 2 Oct): If you are registering afresh, complete your online registration/application on the University website and pay the registration fee (₹5,900 for General, ₹2,950 for SC) through the University Payment Gateway.

Step 2 (28 Sept – 2 Oct): Submit your willingness to participate in the 3rd Round and pay the security deposit (₹10,000 for government only, ₹5,000 for SC/BC/PwD choosing government only, ₹2,00,000 for private or both) through the University Payment Gateway. If you fail to submit willingness and pay the security deposit by 2 October 2:00 PM, you will not be considered for the 3rd Round.

Step 3 (6–7 Oct): Once the merit list is displayed and objections are resolved, you will fill in your online choices for course (MBBS or BDS), college, quota, and category through the counselling portal. This is where you rank your preferred colleges in order.

Step 4 (10 Oct): The provisional allotment result will be displayed. Check if you have been allotted a seat.

Step 5 (11 Oct, 3:00 PM): If you have objections to the allotment, submit them in person at the BFUHS Admission Branch with supporting documents. Objections by email, post, or any other mode will not be accepted.

Step 6 (12–14 Oct): If allotted, pay the balance fee (six months' fee minus the security deposit already paid) through the University Payment Gateway and report to your allotted college to complete joining formalities.

• Register online and pay registration fee (if registering afresh)
• Submit willingness and pay security deposit by 2 Oct 2:00 PM
• Fill online choices for course, college, quota, category (6–7 Oct)
• Check provisional allotment (10 Oct)
• Submit objections in person if needed (by 11 Oct 3:00 PM)
• Pay balance fee and join college (12–14 Oct)

NRI Quota and Minority Quota: Special provisions

If you are applying under the NRI (Non-Resident Indian) Quota, you must submit your Admission Application Form by 1 October 2026, 2:00 PM. Note that the Application Form for the Eligibility Certificate and the Admission Application Form are two separate forms, both available on the University website. Do not confuse them.

If you are applying under the Sikh Minority or Christian Minority Quota, you must report to the respective minority institution for verification of your minority status by 3 October 2026, 3:00 PM. The institutions are: Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Amritsar (for Sikh Minority) and Christian Minority Medical College, Ludhiana (for Christian Minority). However, if your minority status was already verified in Round 1 or Round 2, you do not need to report again. If you registered under Minority Quota in Round 1 or 2 but could not get verified, you must report now for verification to participate in the 3rd Round.

• NRI Quota: Submit Admission Application Form by 1 Oct 2026, 2:00 PM
• Sikh Minority: Report to Sri Guru Ram Das Institute, Amritsar by 3 Oct 2026, 3:00 PM
• Christian Minority: Report to Christian Minority Medical College, Ludhiana by 3 Oct 2026, 3:00 PM
• If already verified in Round 1 or 2, no need to report again

Who is eligible for seat allotment in the 3rd Round?

Not every candidate who registers will be eligible for a seat. The University has defined four groups of candidates who are eligible, and three categories of candidates who are not. Understanding this is essential.

You ARE eligible if you fall into one of these four groups: (1) You are registered and did not receive any seat allotment in Round 1 or Round 2; (2) You are registered, were allotted a seat, but your Round 2 allotment was cancelled during document verification or reporting due to a change in category or other reason, and you remain eligible after forfeiture of the security amount—you may be considered for allotment in your changed category if seats are available; (3) You reported and joined the seat allotted to you in Round 2 and have submitted willingness for upgradation in the 3rd Round; or (4) You were allotted a seat in Round 2 but did not join and surrendered it after forfeiture of the security amount.

You are NOT eligible if: (1) You have become ineligible due to non-fulfilment of prescribed eligibility criteria or submission of inadequate/invalid documents; (2) You have not registered in Round 1, Round 2, or the 3rd Round, as applicable; or (3) You are otherwise rendered ineligible under Government of Punjab Notification, applicable counselling rules, or University instructions.

• Registered, no seat in Rounds 1 or 2
• Registered, Round 2 allotment cancelled, eligible after forfeiture
• Joined Round 2 seat, seeking upgradation
• Allotted Round 2 seat, did not join, surrendered after forfeiture

Critical trap: Surrender of seats and the free-exit deadline

If you joined a seat in Round 1 or Round 2 and now want to participate in the 3rd Round, you must surrender that seat by 2 October 2026, 2:00 PM. This is a hard deadline. However, there is a crucial rule: you can only surrender for free (without losing your security deposit) if you do so within the free-exit period. If you surrender after the free-exit deadline, you forfeit your security deposit.

To surrender, you must submit your application directly to the Principal of your current college—not to the University by email or post. Applications sent to the University will not be accepted. If you miss the 2 October deadline, you cannot participate in the 3rd Round.

Once you join a seat in the 3rd Round, you cannot surrender it or participate in any further counselling round. This is final. So choose your college and course very carefully before joining.

• Surrender deadline: 2 Oct 2026, 2:00 PM
• Submit surrender application to college Principal, not to University
• Surrender after free-exit deadline = forfeiture of security deposit
• Once you join 3rd Round seat, no further surrender or upgradation allowed

Objections: How and where to submit them

You have two opportunities to raise objections: once against the provisional merit list, and once against the provisional seat allotment.

Objections to the merit list must be submitted by 5 October 2026, 4:00 PM. Objections to the seat allotment must be submitted by 11 October 2026, 3:00 PM. For allotment objections, you must submit them in person at the Admission Branch of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, along with relevant supporting documents and records. Objections submitted by email, post, or any other mode will not be entertained. Any objection received after the cut-off date and time will not be considered on any ground.

• Merit list objections: by 5 Oct 2026, 4:00 PM
• Allotment objections: by 11 Oct 2026, 3:00 PM, in person at BFUHS Admission Branch
• Include supporting documents with allotment objections
• Email and post objections will not be accepted

Balance fee and joining: Final step to secure your seat

Once you are allotted a seat on 10 October (or 11 October after objections are resolved), you must pay the balance fee and join your college between 12–14 October 2026. This is your final deadline.

The balance fee is six months' fee minus the security deposit you already paid. For example, if the six-month fee is ₹3,00,000 and you paid a security deposit of ₹10,000, you owe ₹2,90,000. Pay this through the University Payment Gateway on the University website.

After paying the balance fee, you must report to your allotted college to complete admission and joining formalities. If you do not join by 14 October, your seat will be forfeited and given to the next candidate. Once you join, you cannot surrender the seat or participate in any further counselling round.

• Balance fee = six months' fee minus security deposit already paid
• Pay through University Payment Gateway by 14 Oct 2026
• Report to allotted college for joining formalities
• Failure to join by 14 Oct = seat forfeiture

BDS leftover seats: Special rule

If there are not enough eligible candidates to fill all BDS seats, the University may consider candidates who are not eligible for the 85% state quota seats. This is a rare provision but could open additional opportunities if you are interested in BDS.

Frequently asked questions

Act now: if you are eligible, register or submit willingness by 2 October 2026, 2:00 PM through the University Payment Gateway. Check the vacant seat matrix on 28 September, fill your choices on 6–7 October, and be ready to join by 14 October. This is your final opportunity—missing any deadline will disqualify you. For the complete schedule and to register, visit the BFUHS Faridkot admission portal at admission.bfuhsonline.ac.in.